The Climate of Sport

Claire Poole

The Climate of Sport is your weekly fast-take on the biggest stories in sport, through the lens of forces reshaping the game. From extreme weather to sustainability, and the business realities behind it, we break down what’s happening, what it means, and why it matters for sports organisations, athletes, leagues, sponsors, investors, fans and participants. Sport is entering a new era. Climate impacts are already affecting how events are played, scheduled, and delivered, while sustainability is becoming central to governance, funding, and commercial strategy. For those working in the sport ecosystem, investors, and leaders, understanding these shifts isn’t optional, it’s essential. This podcast gives you the context behind the headlines and a front-row seat to the biggest changes shaping the future of sport. Subscribe and download now. Get in touch at: hello@theclimateofsport.com, our website www.sportpositive.org/podcast or via our socials.   #TheClimateOfSport #SportPositive 

  1. 5d ago

    Frameworks, Strategies & Duty of Care

    Back from Sport Positive Summit and Awards 2026, Claire returns to the Climate of Sport with updates on the latest developments in the sport x sustainability sector. This week covers a new update to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, a wave of sustainability strategy launches and progress reports and a deeper look at the relationship between sport, extreme heat and duty of care sparked by the Matthew Mayich story. \\\ Story 1: Sports for Climate Action Framework Update Announced at Sport Positive Summit 2026 Sports for Climate Action Framework – https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/Sports%20for%20Climate%20Action%20Framework_V3.pdf Story 2: Sustainability Strategy Updates Galore Let’s Talk About the Super El Niño and Climate Change – https://www.wired.com/story/super-el-nino-climate-change-connections/ FC Internazionale Milano presents its first Sustainability Report – https://www.inter.it/en/news/inter-sustainability-report-october-2026 FC Bayern publishes 2024/25 sustainability report – https://fcbayern.com/en/news/2026/10/fc-bayern-publishes-2024-25-sustainability-report Borussia Dortmund publishes 2025/2026 Sustainability Statement – https://www.bvb.de/de/en/news/news-overview/news.html/2026/9/29/Borussia-Dortmund-publishes-2025-2026-Sustainability-Statement.html ParalympicsGB reports strong progress on environmental sustainability commitments – https://paralympics.org.uk/articles/paralympicsgb-reports-strong-progress-on-environmental-susta British Fencing environmental strategy leading the way across UK – https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/26618419.british-fencing-environmental-strategy-leading-way-across-uk/ Story 3: Young Hockey Player Remains On Life Support After Collapsing in Extreme Heat ASU asks ex-state justice to lead review of hockey player's collapse – https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/50087285/asu-asks-ex-state-justice-lead-review-hockey-player-collapse Matthew Mayich’s Coach Says ASU Staff Not ‘Monsters’ as 21-Year-Old Remains on Life Support – https://people.com/matthew-mayich-coach-says-asu-staff-are-not-monsters-after-first-game-since-21-year-old-hospitalisation-12170483 Extreme heat left this student athlete on life support. He won’t be the last. – https://grist.org/extreme-heat/extreme-heat-left-this-student-athlete-on-life-support-he-wont-be-the-last/ /// Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateofSport #sportpositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #UNFCCC #UNClimateChange #ESG #ESR #SustainabilityReport #SustainabilityStrategy #MatthewMayich #ASU #Heatstroke Support the show

  2. Sep 24

    Cultural Influencers, Communicating Sustainability & Climate Impacts

    Live from Porto this week, Claire explores the latest headlines in this week's Climate Hat Trick. From sport’s responsibility to use its cultural influence for climate action, to new tools to tackle greenwashing and improve sustainability reporting practices (thanks to the GARFIELD Project), Claire takes a closer look at sport's role in the climate conversation. She also looks at two examples of climate impacts already being felt from Europe to North America. Register for Sport Positive Summit now: www.sportpositivesummit.com Subscribe to Sport Positive's The Brief: www.sportpositive.org/#newsletter \\\ Story 1: The climate responsibility of cultural influencers The climate responsibility of cultural influencers - https://www.nature.com/articles/s44168-026-00427-6 We Have a Climate Imagination Problem - https://time.com/article/2026/09/21/we-have-a-climate-imagination-problem/ Story 2: GARFIELD conference, greenwashing and reporting GARFIELD - www.garfield-eu.org/ Story 3: Two quite harrowing stories on climate impacts on sport Climate Change Forces Permanent Closure of Austrian Ski Area - https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/article317339600.html Final end for the Unterberg ski area - https://www.schigebiet-unterberg.at/ Nashville turf temp of 157 degrees melts cleats, sends Sirianni for IV - https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49995389/turf-temps-157-f-nashville-melts-cleats @NFLonFOX: When in Nashville - https://x.com/NFLonFOX/status/2101736833084428667 /// Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateofSport #sportpositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction Support the show

  3. Sep 17

    Circularity Challenges, Rising Temperatures & Racing Risks

    Claire is back from her Great Wall of China to bring you this week's Climate Hat Trick and explore the question: What happens when a changing climate challenges existing systems in sport? From the challenges of operating a sustainable outdoor gear brand to rising safety concerns in grassroots sport and the Vuelta a España, Claire connects the dots on three news stories at different levels and industries within sport to explore the wider impact on the relationship between climate and sport. Register for Sport Positive Summit now: www.sportpositivesummit.com Subscribe to Sport Positive's The Brief: www.sportpositive.org/#newsletter /// This week's Climate Hat-Trick stories: Story 1: Sustainable outdoor gear Salomon wants to make outdoor gear more circular, but its sustainability boss admits there’s one very big problem - https://www.t3.com/active/outdoors/salomon-circularity-marie-laure-piednoir-interview-0926 Story 2: Dutch amateur football - too hot to play? Amateur footballers to face more heat stress in future matches due to climate change - https://nltimes.nl/2026/09/12/amateur-footballers-face-heat-stress-future-matches-due-climate-change KNMI and KNVB investigate the future of amateur football in a changing climate - https://www.knmi.nl/over-het-knmi/nieuws/KNMI-en-KNVB-onderzoeken-de-toekomst-van-amateurvoetbal-in-een-veranderend-klimaat Heatwaves, droughts, storms, winter rains and floods: French football faces the challenge of climate change - https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Article/Canicule-secheresse-orages-pluies-hivernales-et-inondations-le-football-francais-face-au-defi-du-changement-climatique/1710239 Story 3: Vuelta a Espana cycling at 44°C Vuelta a Espana race director on extreme heat, safety and cycling’s calendar: ‘High temperatures have always existed’ - https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7572215/2026/09/08/vuelta-race-director-interview-heat-safety/ /// Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateofSport #sportpositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #climate Support the show

  4. Sep 3

    Actionable Steps, Australian Alps & Sport Assets

    This week, on The Climate of Sport presents three different stories that bring different angles, and gives some food for thought. Claire breaks down ten actionable steps we can all take to combat the climate crisis, Australia’s shortened snow season, and why sustainability is entering sport investment decisions. Next week, Claire is taking on a challenging 5-day trek across the Great Wall of China, in a bid to raise funds towards CoppaFeel. Support her here. ** Claire's Great Wall of China trek for CoppaFeel! : https://www.justgiving.com/page/claire-poole?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL ** Register for Sport Positive Summit now: www.sportpositivesummit.com Subscribe to Sport Positive's The Brief: www.sportpositive.org/#newsletter \\\ Story 1: 10 things athletes, fans, and outdoor advocates can do about the climate crisis - https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/08/10-things-athletes-fans-and-outdoor-advocates-can-do-about-climate-change/ Story 2: Australia Snow Season Cut Short...Again Australia's warm winter puts pressure on alpine tourism as snow season ends early - https://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/australias-warm-winter-puts-pressure-on-alpine-tourism-as-snow-season-ends-early The Financing Gap in Sports: Unlocking a $2.5 Trillion Opportunity - https://www.apollo.com/insights-news/insights/2025/12/the-financing-gap-in-sports-unlocking-a-dollar-2-5-trillion-opportunity Story 3: How sustainability factors into sport investment and assets - https://insidersport.com/2026/08/26/sustainability-value-in-sports-assets/ /// Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateofSport #sportpositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #climateaction #climatecrisis #climatechange #Australia #wintersport #snowsport #sportsmoney #sportsfinance #investment #assets #sustainability Support the show

  5. Aug 27

    French Football, the Asian Games & Green Matchdays

    Claire is back with this week's Climate Hat Trick to explore the reality behind the headlines from football pitches in France to athlete villages in Japan, basketball courts in the United States and cricket stadiums in the UK. Register for Sport Positive Summit now: www.sportpositivesummit.com Subscribe to Sport Positive's The Brief: www.sportpositive.org/#newsletter CoppaFeel!: https://coppafeel.org/ \\\ Story 1: Vulnerability of French football due to the climate crisis revealed Heatwaves, droughts, storms, winter rains and floods: French football faces the challenge of climate change - https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Article/Canicule-secheresse-orages-pluies-hivernales-et-inondations-le-football-francais-face-au-defi-du-changement-climatique/1710239 Scratch of the day: local football season postponed due to ‘rock hard’ pitches - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/08/scratch-of-the-day-local-football-season-postponed-due-to-rock-hard-pitches Community Rugby season delay: RFU statement - https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/news-and-media/statement-start-competitive-community-rugby-season Story 2: 25 days until the Asian Games The Sustainability Concept for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Games - https://www.asianparagames-2026.org/en/tournament/sdgs/ Cruise Ship and Containers Form Eco-Friendly Asian Games Village - https://www.chosun.com/english/world-en/2026/08/19/EVD7GPE655HUVF5SSEIQKDQIBY/ Oil tanker breaches Hormuz heading to Nagoya… The eco-friendly paradox of an oil port city [Hwang Deok-hyeon’s Climate Commentary] - https://www.news1.kr/society/environment/6167945 Story 3: What does a basketball match in Indiana and cricket match in Birmingham have in common? Edgbaston launches annual Go Green Game to champion cricket's sustainable future - https://www.edgbaston.com/media-article/edgbaston-launches-annual-go-green-game-to-champion-crickets-sustainable-future Bikes & Buckets - https://go.feverbasketball.com/tickets/theme-nights/bikes-and-buckets /// Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateofSport #sportpositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #climate #heat #France #football #AsianGames #oil #WNBA #Cricket #GreenGames Support the show

  6. Aug 20

    AI Sport Sponsorship, Mont Blanc Mountain Rescue & Changing Calendars

    This week's The Climate of Sport is all about evolving our thinking in new areas. Claire takes a deeper look at AI sponsorship in sport, and how it might be the new fossil fuel sponsorship, plus more climate impacts and adaptations happening across the world from Mont Blanc to Seoul.  Register for Sport Positive Summit now: www.sportpositivesummit.com Subscribe to Sport Positive's The Brief: www.sportpositive.org/#newsletter \\\ Story 1: Are sports organisations repeating the fossil-fuel sponsorship playbook with AI? Universities Are Now TEACHING Students to Use AI — Here's What Changed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhxJ5wYf3xo AI boom means US is now ‘investing more’ in fossil-fuel power than China - https://www.carbonbrief.org/ai-boom-means-us-is-now-investing-more-in-fossil-fuel-power-than-china?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email Big tech’s lofty climate goals wrecked by energy-hungry AI - https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/06/ai-climate-crisis?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email AI-driven productivity gains enable more CO₂ emissions than they avoid in a global energy–economy model - https://www.nature.com/articles/s44168-026-00411-0?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email Story 2: Montblanc refuges closed in another climate impact on sport Mont Blanc Refuges Closed Due to Rockfall Danger - https://explorersweb.com/mont-blanc-refuges-closed-due-to-rockfall-danger/ Thirty-two Alpinists Ignore Mont Blanc Warnings, Are Denied Free Helicopter Rescue - https://explorersweb.com/thirty-two-alpinists-ignore-mont-blanc-warnings-are-denied-free-helicopter-rescue/ Story 3: South Korea players want K League season change due to ‘worsening climate’ South Korea players want K League season change due to ‘worsening climate’ - https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/8/14/south-korea-players-want-k-league-season-change-due-to-worsening-climate J.League Enters a New Era in Step with the World as the 2026/27 MEIJI YASUDA J.League Season Kicks Off - https://www.jleague.jp/en/news/article/34622/?navicode=j1 /// Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateofSport #sportpositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #FossilFuels #DataCentres #Montblac #Mountaineering #Rescue #Alpinist #SouthKorea #KLeague #Baseball #JLeague #Soccer #Football #climatechange #climatecrisis Support the show

  7. Aug 13

    Heat, Water & the Limits of Adaptation

    This week, on The Climate of Sport, Claire dives into how a changing climate is increasingly shaping where, when and how sport can take place. From drought to suspected heatstroke fatalities and water quality concerns, the realities of the climate crisis raise the question: how much can sport really adapt? Register for Sport Positive Summit now: www.sportpositivesummit.com Subscribe to Sport Positive's The Brief: www.sportpositive.org/#newsletter \\\ Story 1: Reality bites when adaptations in sport can only go so far. Scratch of the day: local football season postponed due to ‘rock hard’ pitches: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/08/scratch-of-the-day-local-football-season-postponed-due-to-rock-hard-pitches More areas of UK likely to move into drought as fifth heatwave builds: https://www.bbc.com/weather/articles/c9d8vwg0197o Story 2: Suspected heatstroke takes the life of another young athlete Fijian rugby player, 26, dies after suspected heatstroke at training in Japan: https://japantoday.com/category/sports/fijian-rugby-player-saimoni-vunilagi-26-dies-after-suspected-heatstroke-at-training-in-japan Rugby community gathers for funeral of Luqobo Makwedini after heatstroke tragedy in France: https://iol.co.za/news/2026-08-01-rugby-community-gathers-for-funeral-of-luqobo-makwedini-after-heatstroke-tragedy-in-france/ Story 3: European Aquatic Championship in the Seine. European Aquatics Championships Paris 2026, Open Water Swimming: https://www.reutersconnect.com/item/european-aquatics-championships-paris-2026-open-water-swimming/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX01UMVNJUEEwMDBQN0tGN0c Bettina Fábián's Instagram Story https://x.com/swimupdates/status/2069801898077802784?s=46 @Bettiifabian TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bettiifabian/video/7670618310454693142?is_from_webapp=1&web_id=7667089107188778518 European Aquatics Cancels Training Session in Seine River Amid Traces of Hydrocarbons: https://swimswam.com/european-aquatics-cancels-training-session-in-seine-river-amid-traces-of-hydrocarbons/ High divers take the plunge in the Seine in a new test of Paris’ reclaimed river: https://www.cp24.com/news/world/2026/08/08/high-divers-take-the-plunge-in-the-seine-in-a-new-test-of-paris-reclaimed-river/ /// Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateofSport #sportpositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #football #heatwave #drought #rugby #athlete #heatstroke #aquatics #openwatterswimming #Seine #waterquality Support the show

About

The Climate of Sport is your weekly fast-take on the biggest stories in sport, through the lens of forces reshaping the game. From extreme weather to sustainability, and the business realities behind it, we break down what’s happening, what it means, and why it matters for sports organisations, athletes, leagues, sponsors, investors, fans and participants. Sport is entering a new era. Climate impacts are already affecting how events are played, scheduled, and delivered, while sustainability is becoming central to governance, funding, and commercial strategy. For those working in the sport ecosystem, investors, and leaders, understanding these shifts isn’t optional, it’s essential. This podcast gives you the context behind the headlines and a front-row seat to the biggest changes shaping the future of sport. Subscribe and download now. Get in touch at: hello@theclimateofsport.com, our website www.sportpositive.org/podcast or via our socials.   #TheClimateOfSport #SportPositive 

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